It all started when I was cruising behind a school bus in Smithville one recent fine morning. I often do this so I can educate drivers when they fail to stop for the pretty flashing red lights and stop signs on the bus. I got behind one of the smaller buses and followed for about three-quarters of a mile, then the driver turned on the amber flashers to indicate an upcoming stop. These amber lights are a visual aid to drivers telling them the lights are going to start flashing red soon, much as the amber traffic signal at an intersection means the red light is about to show itself and you should get ready to stop.
Or floor it if that is your wont....
As I watched the amber lights flash left and right, the bus pulled to the curb, the amber lights went off, and.....
Aaaannnnnd.......
I waited, but the red lights never came on. The driver spoke with a parent for a few seconds as the child boarded the bus, but the red lights never flashed. Of course I had to go have a chat with the driver. I explained to her, in lieu of issuing her a citation, that she was required to turn the flashing red lights on whenever she was loading or unloading children on a highway, but I was sure she already knew that. Her response was the typical, "I'm sorry officer. I am fully aware of this and I'll make sure it never happens again."
Well, that was the gist of her response anyway, although not as polite and with a few choice words thrown in. At least she kept it mostly clean for the kiddies.
I had to go deal with a separate issue after that contact and I was not able to follow farther. Fast forward with me to the following week, when I was again on the hunt for school bus light violators (the passing the bus kind), and I found myself behind another small school bus. I followed for a while, the amber lights came on, the bus pulled over, and.....
Aaaaaannnnnnd!!!!
WTF? Where are the red lights? Well, of course, I had to go speak with this driver and find out what was the issue. Imagine my surprise (shock even) when I found myself face to face with the same driver I had spoken with the previous week. Apparently warnings DON'T work. Who knew? So off I went, back to the bike with her driver license, registration and proof of insurance.
When I returned with the citation, the driver explained to me that she didn't turn the red lights on because she saw me behind her and "didn't want anyone to get a ticket." Come again? You violated the law, and failed in your duty to ensure the safety of the children boarding and disembarking from your bus because you didn't want me to write someone else a ticket for failing to stop for your red lights? The lights that are put there to make sure kids can get on and off your bus safely? The lights you're required by law to turn on, and people are required by law to stop for?
It is highly likely you violated company policy as well. But, hell... who am I to argue? Press hard, you're making three copies.
This series of events set me to thinking. I know, right? ME thinking? But I digress...
It occurred to me that this was not the first time I experienced someone breaking a law in favor of avoiding another law. I frequently speak with drivers who stop in a bus zone (red curbs, signs and all) to talk on their cell phone. Invariably they say it is because they didn't want to talk on the phone while they were driving, because that's illegal you know...
Only problem is, a bus zone ticket is over $400, whereas a cell phone ticket sets you back about $175. So you violated a law to keep from violating a different law, when you could have just driven the extra 50 feet to the driveway and parked in a parking lot to have your phone conversation. Funny thing is, that wouldn't have cost you anything.
But the bus driver was the first time I could recall someone saying they broke the law to keep OTHERS from getting a citation. Normally it's the other way around. "I wouldn't have had to break the law if that guy wasn't doing something illegal first".
I'm looking forward to the day this one comes up in traffic court.
It should be entertaining...
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